


All For The Free Drink

by Hey_its_Laura



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Café, Cute, F/M, Fluff, HTTYD - Freeform, Hiccstrid - Freeform, Hiccup just embarrasses himself, auyeahaugust, coffee shop AU, prompt, this is more of a writing exercise than an actual story, this is the fastest I've written a story and posted it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:40:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25695184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hey_its_Laura/pseuds/Hey_its_Laura
Summary: Alternate title: Hiccup embarrasses himself continuously
Relationships: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Astrid Hofferson
Comments: 6
Kudos: 32





	All For The Free Drink

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for AUYeahAugust. This is Day 1's prompt: Café. Can you believe this is the first coffee shop au I've ever written (or read for that matter)? Anyway, enjoy Hiccstrid being cuties.

Day #1:

Hiccup pocketed his wallet, accepting the change from the cute barista. He smiled like an idiot when she told him something funny about her boss.

“Oh!” called the girl, just as he picked up his drink to leave. “Here’s a punch card.” It was baby blue, with the café’s logo at the top. “Come back six times and the seventh, you get a free drink.”

Oh, he was coming back.

Day #2:

“Ohmygoshyourdogissocute!” A random girl, around 15 years-old, crouched down and tackled Toothless. His dog loved the attention and didn’t oblige when Hiccup pulled the leash to go.

He sighed. “Fine, but behave yourself.” Tying the leash firmly around the bike rack, he walked into the shop.

Her blonde hair popped out from under the counter at the sound of the bell. It wasn’t too busy that morning. Only a couple people sat scattered in the armchairs.

“What can I get for you?” said the girl. He looked closer at her name tag; Astrid.

“Anything that’ll earn me a stamp.” He grinned. Why did he say that? That was so stupid.

“So… anything?” One of Astrid’s eyebrows rose in amusement. “Any purchase is valid, sir.”

He cleared his throat. “Right. I– I’ll have pesto sandwich, then.”

She nodded and went to warm it up. Outside, Hiccup saw that the single teen girl had attracted several others and a substantial crowd had gathered.

“Um, you know what? On second thought, I’ll just eat it cold,” he called to her.

She turned, looking puzzled. “You want it cold?” The sandwich in her hand was frozen, but he was already committed to this embarrassment and he’d follow through.

“Yeah, I’m running late.” To catch the new episode of whatever happens to be on tv.

A jingle of coins and a stamp later, Hiccup dove through the mass of teens and trudged away with his oblivious dog, biting through cold and solid bread, ashamed.

Day #3:

“Hey look! It’s frozen sandwich guy!”

“Shhhhh Ruff! Shut up.”

Astrid had her hand clamped to her co-worker’s mouth as Hiccup struggled to close his umbrella.

Of course she would tell others about the day before. It had taken two whole hours for him to work up the courage to show his face at the café again after the whole debacle. It was fine. He’d be cool.

“I’ll take a hot chocolate, please,” he said, head held high.

The two baristas blinked at him, as did the five other people in the line he’d _just unknowingly budged in front of._

Title for asshole of the year went to the one and only Hiccup Haddock. He would like to thank his parents, his dog and his stupid mouth for going off without consulting his brain first.

“Oh my… No– I am _so_ sorry.” His hands couldn’t decide where to rest. Awkwardly dancing, he ran to the back.

No words were spoken when Astrid handed him his drink, already prepared. Her smile was genuine, but Hiccup barely met her eyes. He dashed off as soon as the stamp left the card.

“What a catch, A. What a catch.” He heard her co-worker tease, as he scrambled back inside again, because he’d forgotten his umbrella.

Day #4:

“I’m sorry about yesterday,” he blurted.

Astrid spun around to him from where she was adding whipped cream to another customer’s drink. “… What for?”

“I don’t know. Yesterday was just weird and I was having an off day.” He scratched the back of his neck. “I’m Hiccup, by the way and I– I don’t normally… cut in front of people.”

She chuckled and went to fill another cup with cream. “Don’t sweat it,” she said. The next part was barely audible. “Besides, it was kind of cute.”

Wait, did he hear her right? Astrid had just called him cute? Hiccup lifted his gaze from where it was planted at his feet to her face. _No_ … was she… blushing?

“Astrid, don’t put the cream down yet, there’s a few more over here,” called that other girl. Ruff was her name; he recalled.

Gears in his mind were running at insane speeds, he could hardly keep up with the thoughts forming. Astrid thought he was cute.

“Uh… you’re cuter,” he offered back. When would he ever think before he spoke?

The cup she was filling up overflowed and she cursed softly, going away to clean the mess.

After, they didn’t dare look at each other as his drink was called and he took off. He pocketed the punch card, stepping out into the sunny day.

Day #5:

Taking off his sunglasses, Hiccup made it a point to walk directly to the line-up when he arrived at the café the next morning.

“Well if it isn’t Mr. and Mrs. Cute, finally reunited,” Ruff announced. The girl was punched away by Astrid who was wide-eyed, much like Hiccup.

“Don’t mind her,” she said, clicking away at the monitor. “So, you’re here for another stamp, right? I would’ve thought you’d be sick of this place by now.”

“Not possible,” Hiccup replied, mentally high-fiving himself for having a somewhat normal conversation with her. “And I want that free drink.”

“You know, there isn’t an expiration date for it. You don’t have to come every day.”

Did this mean she didn’t want him around? Oh no. He scared her off with his awkwardness. It must’ve been super creepy. No one would want to–

“Not that I’m complaining about business, or anything,” she finished.

“Oh, I didn’t know about that.” Now he felt like an idiot. Why couldn’t he ever be calm around her?

He ordered a croissant and a smoothie and stepped to the side to wait, lost in thought. His fingers played with edge of the freshly stamped punch card.

That was it. He knew what he had to do. Hiccup had to ask her out. There was no other way about it. He wouldn’t back out of it, like all the other times he’d liked a girl. Life was about taking chances and he’d do this.

“A strawberry smoothie for Hiccup,” called Astrid.

This was the moment.

A series of bad thoughts stopped him in his tracks. What if she was already with someone? A beautiful girl like that was bound to have swept someone off their feet.

_But she called you “cute”._

Anyone could call someone “cute” and just mean it as a compliment. Hiccup swallowed back what he’d been about to tell her and picked up his order. Needless to say, that day didn’t amount to anything.

Day #6:

Two days had passed since he’d last been to the café. This time Toothless came along just so he could do something else and not look too awkward.

“You’re back.” Astrid grinned up at him from across the counter. “Just when we were about to give you the ‘Most Loyal Customer’ award, you didn’t show up.”

Hearing her tease him lightened his heart, but also sent it speeding. Was that even physically possible? She liked being around him. That’s great! Though, it didn’t mean that she wanted anything more than that. He shook the disappointment away and smirked back. A friend is a million times better than nothing.

“I tried my best to make it, but the journey was too long. I had to give in.”

Her laugh was a weird snort sound, but it was the most endearing thing he’d heard all week.

“Is that you’re dog?” Astrid asked after composing herself, peering over the cash register.

He nodded.

“Do you want me to make him a cup of whipped cream?”

Toothless had a gift for understanding anything having to do with food. As soon as he heard “whipped cream” he began walking in circles and nudging Hiccup’s leg. He took her up on the offer, ordering a sandwich for himself along with it.

She reached under the counter and pulled out something in plastic wrap, holding it out for him to take. It was a frozen sandwich. Hiccup opened his mouth to say something, but shut it immediately. How does one respond to that? It was a known fact that he’d look like an idiot, whatever he did, at this point.

Astrid laughed louder this time. “You should’ve… seen you… face!” she said between bouts of giggles.

He couldn’t help but join in. The shop wasn’t busy, but the few people that were there, quietly minding their own business, watched them in annoyance. He didn’t care.

“That day was an accident and I hope you know that,” he said, red-faced.

Her only reply was a suppressed laugh. She stamped his card and gave him his whipped cream and (thankfully) warm sandwich.

One more day until that free drink. And one more day until he’d actually ask her. Forget the consequences.

Day #7:

He was going to ask Astrid out, no matter what, today.

For a Thursday afternoon, it was teeming with people. Astrid was running around grabbing orders and operating the register in a cycle with the two other baristas.

When his turn came, she took the punch card and said a quick “Congratulations” for getting a free drink, before she was whisked away to warm up pastries.

Free latte in hand, and ready to leave, Hiccup glanced longingly at her turned back. In this moment, he should’ve felt happier. He could wait a few more moments to try and get her attention, but he’d promised his mother to help build a new office desk right after.

Asking her out could wait. He went to leave.

“Hiccup!” called a voice. Astrid ran out from behind the counter to catch up with him. “You can keep this.” She handed him the fully stamped card, with something else scrawled onto it. Waving him goodbye, she rushed back to help her the next customer in line.

He looked closer at the writing. It was a phone number. _Her_ phone number.

Putting it away in his wallet for safe keeping, Hiccup gaped back at Astrid. A wink was her only reply.

Yeah, punch cards were his new favourite thing.

**Author's Note:**

> So once, I was on vacation with my family and we went to get ice cream. They gave us a punch card. My dad made it his goal to get that free ice cream before we went back home in five days. Let me just say, it wasn't worth it. He ate that free ice cream like a champ, but at that point, none of us could even look at ice cream. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading:)


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